Germanic bracelet Himlingøje, bronze

Product description

This bracelet was discovered in a Germanic female grave from the 3rd century AD in Himlingøje, Denmark.
The woman was between 40 and 50 years old when she died. She belonged to the local Germanic aristocracy. Although Denmark was never part of the Roman Empire, it was within its sphere of influence. Similar bracelets have been found in Näsby in Sweden and in Saaremaa in Estonia.

North Germanic tribes sent their warriors to fight as auxilia and foederati in Roman armies. There was lively trade between both regions. This resulted in a North Germanic culture that, alongside her traditional Germanic objects, favoured Roman luxury goods. In addition to two rings, this woman also wore two bracelets with stylized serpent heads. She also wore a fibula with 'widuhudaR' engraved on it in runes. In her mouth she had coins to pay the ferryman to the afterlife according to Roman custom.

The serpent was often depicted in Roman art and jewellery. It protected the prosperity of the family.
The serpent stood in Greek antiquity and the Bronze age for healing. This serpent veneration as we see it in Roman culture possibly originated in Macedonia, where it was believed that the serpent was a symbol of fertility. This is why women wore jewellery in the form of a serpent with pleasure.